Fall is always a time when there is increased promotion for the flu shot. TV commercials and signs at the local pharmacy highly recommend the flu vaccination for prevention. Although many people get the flu shot each year, not everyone chooses to.

Flu vaccines are designed to protect against the main flu viruses that are projected to be most common during the upcoming season. Two factors typically impact the effectiveness of the flu vaccine: The health and stamina of the person getting the vaccine, and the match between the flu virus that is circulating and that which the body is being protected against. There are no guarantees that getting the flu shot will prevent you from getting the flu! [Read more…]

Much has been written about Bone Broth lately. In major cities such as New York and Chicago, bone broth restaurants have surfaced. In some neighborhoods, bones at local butchers are hard to come by – becoming a “hot commodity” as residents travel near and far to get the “best bones” for their broth.

Bone Broth is incredibly nutritious and touts many health benefits!

First off, bone broth is made with – well, BONES! A wide range of animal bones can be used to make bone broth – including, chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish. Unlike meat broths, which take 2-4 hours, bone broths are simmered over low heat for a long period of times. Purchasing bones from grass-fed animals is desirable. Many times, the bones are roasted before making the soup. [Read more…]

Receiving a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is very scary and confusing for many women, especially when trying to conceive. PCOS is a syndrome—this means one size does NOT fit all. Classically, women with PCOS were overweight, had inappropriate hair growth and did not menstruate regularly. However, many of the PCOS patients I see do NOT fit that description. Some women have insulin resistance, acne, irregular periods or cysts on their ovaries. Or not. Traditional treatment for PCOS involves birth control pills, blood sugar regulating medications, low carb diet and exercise. When trying to conceive, all of those options are great—with the exception of birth control pills! [Read more…]

Once again nutritional supplements are in the news, this time the attorney general of New York State has threatened legal action against four leading chains (GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart) for selling mislabeled products. According to the report from New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman, investigation of store brand herbal products revealed that only 21% of herbal products contained DNA of the plants purported by the label, including the commonly used herbs Echinacea, Ginseng and Ginkgo biloba.

Though supplement quality is known to vary widely, the New York investigation has been criticized for using potentially inaccurate assessment methodology. In a formal statement by Council for Responsible Nutrition, president Steve Mister cites the methods favored by botanical scientists for detecting plant material in products, stating that “…different identification test methods, from simple titration to chromatography and mass spectrometry, are appropriate for different stages of the processing—from the whole plant to the extract, to the finished product.” Measuring DNA of the finished product may not be an accurate method of detecting presence of plant material in supplements. Harvard expert on nutritional supplements, Dr. Pieter Cohen, commented that the investigation results were so extreme that they were likely inaccurate, and it was possible that the tests had failed to detect the presence of plants because the manufacturing process had destroyed their DNA. There is a precedent for using DNA barcoding in investigation of herbal supplements from a 2013 Toronto study, which found below 50% accuracy in label claims for the products investigated.

While nutritional supplements in the United States are technically regulated by the FDA through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, the law is not fully implemented to regulate dietary supplements for quality. As required by DSHEA regulations, dietary supplements are required to follow FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines, which apply to pharmaceuticals as well as supplements. In the years since DSHEA was passed, legislation calling for more stringent quality control have been introduced and voted down. Critics of amending DSHEA claim that regulation of supplements as drugs will restrict consumer access and drive up costs. On the other side, critics of DSHEA cite the multitude of safety issues with supplements causing illness and even death, and the problematic atmosphere created by DSHEA which allows for a free-market with the onus for quality control and safety on the profit-driven manufacturer. In a recent article by Harvard’s Dr. Cohen: “DSHEA creates perverse incentives for unscrupulous manufacturers to out-compete legitimate companies by adding undeclared, illegal ingredients including prescription medications, banned drugs and even entirely novel chemical compounds.” Advocates of greater implementation of DSHEA point out that the the regulatory processes created by the original legislation have never been enforced, and rather than amend the legislation it should be fully funded and implemented. For example, DSHEA stipulates that for new products (introduced since 1994), manufacturers must provide the FDA with evidence supporting a “reasonable expectation of safety.” This aspect of DSHEA has never been enforced.

There are several components of FDA regulation of nutritional supplements to consider. First is the accuracy of labeling and whether the contents of the bottle match what the label claims. Because the FDA does not have systems in place to implement DSHEA by regulating manufacturing content, there is little oversight beyond independent watchdog companies such as Consumer Labs analyze products and report on accuracy of labeling. Consumer Labs leads the field in independent product analysis, primarily using chromatography and mess spectrometry to analyze nutritional supplements for content. In addition to reporting on accuracy of label claims, Consumer Labs also reports on the presence of potentially hazardous substances like allergens and toxins.

Next, the role of the FDA (and potentially the DEA) is to ensure that no drug contaminants are incorporated in dietary supplements. In 2004, regulations were passed to ban ephedra and anabolic steroids from dietary supplements. An international study published in 2004 revealed that as much as 15% of dietary supplements contained pro-hormone, anabolic contents that were not declared on the label. Because pre-approval is not required for supplement sales, these contaminants are not detected until products have already been available on the market. Safety issues are only brought to light through consumer reporting or through medical intervention after serious adverse effects occur.

Finally, dietary supplement safety involves product efficacy, which is presently not required under DSHEA. The FDA does restrict claims made for the health benefits of nutritional products but does not require pre-approval of sales based on efficacy data. This matter was recently raised by the Federal Trade Commission against Dr. Mehmet Oz was for making unfounded claims about the health benefits of supplements. While the body of data for evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine is growing, there is a relative lack of clinical evidence for herbal and nutritional supplements. Without the support of clinical trials to verify safety and efficacy, any health claim made by a dietary supplement – especially the more fantastic the claim – might very well be too good to be true.

Beyond the safety issues of quality control and the efficacy of nutritional supplements are concerns over herb-drug or nutrient-drug interactions with medications, and contraindications with other health conditions. Safety warnings about known adverse effects, interactions and contraindications are required by the FDA regulations under DSHEA. The burden of proof falls on the FDA to ensure that these requirements are being met, and due to inadequate resources this may not be upheld.

Fortunately, naturopathic physicians are experts in the field of dietary supplement safety and efficacy, and are an excellent resource for information about nutritional supplements as well as prevention of interactions and contraindications. To address the many concerns about supplement quality, safety and efficacy discussed above, in my practice I almost exclusively recommend professional-line nutritional supplements that are manufactured with the highest possible standards. This means that the supplement manufacturer meets the following criteria:

independent, third-party analysis of their product

verified analysis of the suppliers of their raw material

adherence to GMP

routine batch testing of their products

potency testing to verify dosing of label claim

sufficient testing to confirm absence of contaminants

verification of stability of shelf-life for their product

evidence of total quality

often, participation in clinical trials to demonstrate the efficacy of their product

Some nutritional supplements sold over-the-counter meet some of these criteria, but very few or none meet all of them. The only way to guarantee product safety is to choose nutritional supplements that elect to uphold the highest standards of quality, not because they are required to so by the inadequate implementation of DSHEA, but because they prioritize scientific research and rigorous standards.

There are dozens of professional-line ‘nutriceutical’ manufacturers that meet these criteria, and many of them dispense only to licensed providers or natural pharmacies. One such dispensary that only contracts with licensed providers and distributes top-quality nutriceutical products is Emerson Ecologics. Their quality standards, the Emerson Quality Program requires all manufacturers to submit to third-party analysis of their products. Beyond the basic quality standards, Emerson Ecologics also Silver and Gold Partner quality standards which meet the criteria listed above, which is what I look for in making recommendations for top-quality supplements for my patients.

As experts in nutritional supplement safety and efficacy, naturopathic doctors have long been involved with the political side of supplement regulation. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians has long advocated for the full implementation of DSHEA, but opposes legislation that would restrict access to supplements or regulate them as drugs. Because nearly 70% of Americans are taking some form of nutritional supplement, we support the FDA to fully and appropriately regulate them according to the purview of this legislation.

This testimonial is from a dear friend of mine. I like it because she details how I worked with her WHILE she was going through her western medicine treatments. What I have learned in my 9 years of practice is that there are times for western medicine, there are times for alternative medicine, and most of the time they support each other beautifully.

If you choose to come in for acupuncture, it does not mean you have to forego all western medical treatment. I, too, see a primary care doctor, an obgyn, a naturopathic doctor, etc. We are all a part of the picture of personalized and holistic care for you and your family.

“For those who know me, you know the past year and half of my life has been a very difficult time for me. My back was severely injured leading me to have three major back surgeries, including an anterior-posterior spinal fusion. I was left in massive amounts of pain with permanent nerve damage from my injury. During this time of surgeries and recovery I spent much of time my talking with Monica Mae Leibson, my close friend and also an excellent acupuncturist, alternative medicine, and Chinese herbal medicine specialist. During this year of immense physical and emotional stress Monica Mae Leibson was a huge support and helped beyond what I thought was possible. I went through many treatments of acupuncture, herbal remedies, teas, tinctures and vitamins recommended and given to me by Monica Mae Leibson. Not only did all of these things help greatly with my pain and nerve damage, they also helped me cope with the depression of having these surgeries. When I saw my surgeon one month after my spinal fusion he was completely amazed and astounded that my recovery was going so good and my bones were growing back quicker than he had ever seen before. I owe all of this to Monica Mae Leibson and her help with her incredible skill and knowledge with acupuncture, alternative medicine, and vitamins. I also struggle with depression and major anxiety issues. Monica Mae Leibson has been treating me for years with these problems as well and it has helped more than any other methods I have tried. Monica Mae Leibson is an extraordinary and remarkable acupuncturist and guru of alternative medicine. Monica’s expertise, professionalism, and tranquility will not only amaze you but it will also heal you in ways one might never thought was possible. I urge anyone who has any struggles, physically or mentally, to go see Monica Mae Leibson and get treatments. I assure you that you will be amazed at how wonderful and healed you can feel by these treatments and remedies.” – Emily S. from Livonia, MI

Are you under the weather? It’s exactly why you should come and see us.

Many people call in sick for work, rightfully so…even if they feel well enough to come to work, it is considered better to stay at home and not expose others – preventing further spread of the “bug” that is running around.

Often patients are calling our office canceling their appointment because they are sick with the same thought process as when they call off work. Being sick is actually an indication to come and get acupuncture and energy work treatment, this is what we are here for!! Back in the old days, herbal medicine and acupuncture (in the Far East) where the only medicine. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are very powerful tools also in dealing with upper respiratory diseases.

After catching a cold few days ago I got better, though my wife got sicker and last night started to cough profusely, her chest felt tight and her back started to hurt. Those are symptoms that can lead to pneumonia if not treated properly. Before running to the emergency care, I did acupuncture on her to try and help her body recover on its own. We made Ginger lemon honey tea, defused eucalyptus oil and did a massage on her chest and back along the Lung meridian. She had immediate relief, felt, better and we avoided the need for her to take antibiotics.Antibiotic is important and without it people can die, though it only gives a short term solution and reduce the immunity of the body in the long run which is making people prone to suffer from the same problem in the future and have it be harder to treat. Going to the Dr. is very important in order to make sure everything is under control, but before the medical need for drug intervention, there are many natural things that can be done.

As Acupuncturists, we sit with many of our clients and talk with them about their emotions. Emotions are an important part of the intake process for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Emotions affect our physical health and physical health affects our emotional well-being.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine – most organ systems have an emotion associated with them. When someone is angry or irritable, we think of the Liver and how to work to balance the flow of Liver Qi. Fear is associated with the Kidneys, Grief, the Lungs, Heart = joy and the emotion associated with the Spleen is worry. Since we so often experience many emotions, one can only predict the effect the emotions have on our health.

I want to make a pitch for starting to make friends with our emotions. So often, we try to push our feelings away. This may be done through drugs and alcohol, food and other addictions, exercise or medications. An informal industry has been developed in order to support us in NOT FEELING. What this ultimately does is add an additional layer to our pain and suffering. We still feel the emotions we don’t want to feel and we self medicate ourselves to get away from the feelings we still feel! [Read more…]

As a Chinese herbalist, I am often asked “which herbs are good to eat?” Well, that is a very broad question. First, different herbs are good for different things. We all have unique energetic imbalances and require different treatments. If we eat an excessive amount of “warming” or “cooling” herbs, this can lead to a severe imbalance in the digestive tract! Also, many Chinese herbs are not so commonly found in your local grocery store. (I have yet to find fresh rehmannia root or even white peony) However, diet and digestion is so important in Chinese medicine, that there are a few herbs that can be used across the board to support good health! [Read more…]

For most of us, Chinese herbs are an alternative and unknown form of medicine. However, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) they are an integral part of healing! Many people liken Chinese herbs to medication but they couldn’t be farther apart. First, Chinese herbs are natural substances—roots, berries, twigs, barks, etc.—whereas medications are chemically engineered. Medications are often given alone to affect the body while Chinese herbs are administered in formulas, which are unique combinations of herbs that are used to achieve maximal therapeutic effect while also addressing possible side effects. But the coolest thing about Chinese herbs, as far as I’m concerned, is how they are categorized. [Read more…]

Cinnamon has been all over the wellness-news lately for a plethora of health benefits. From blood sugar regulation to anti-inflammatory properties, Cinnamon is the current “it” herb. Gui zhi, as I like to think of it, has been in the Chinese medical materia medica for thousands of years and has always been an important part of Chinese herbal medicine. [Read more…]